The Biden Administration is granting temporary legal status to an estimated 472,000 Venezuelan migrants who crossed the border into the U.S. before July 31, 2023, it announced Wednesday.
The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that the decision had been made due to “Venezuela’s increased instability and lack of safety due to the enduring humanitarian, security, political, and environmental conditions.”
The White House also said it would be fast-tracking work permits for a number of other undocumented immigrant groups currently in the country, a policy change Democratic leaders across the country have said would ease their financial burden as they struggle to care for the growing number of migrants crossing into the U.S.